Busch improves on record-setting year

It’s Kyle Busch – again.

The 23-year-old NASCAR star was dominant on the 2-mile oval at Auto Club Speedway Saturday in Fontana, Calif., leading 144 of the 150 laps to race off with his seventh Nationwide Series victory of the season.

Busch easily held off Sprint Cup rival Carl Edwards on a pair of late-race restarts, piling up his record 18th NASCAR victory of the season, including eight in Cup and three in the Craftsman Truck Series.

This one was one of the easiest of the season as Busch gave Joe Gibbs Racing its 15th Nationwide win of the year, including a win in the February race here by teammate Tony Stewart, who led 136 of 150 laps. It was also the first win for the Gibbs team since they were hit with seven suspensions, big fines and the loss of championship points for cheating on a chassis dyno engines test following the Nationwide race at Michigan.

“This one is for these guys,” said Busch, who started from the pole. “They got a bad rap a few weeks ago that they didn’t really deserve and I’m glad to get this one for them.”

Edwards, the defending Nationwide champion who is locked in a three-way points battle this season with leader Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski, finished second, followed by Brian Vickers.

IndyCar Series

Helio Castroneves, who enters today’s Detroit Indy Grand Prix on Belle Isle 43 points behind driver points-leader Scott Dixon, has refined his strategy to include mind games with the New Zealander.

“I’m trying to do everything I can,” said Castroneves, who will start on the front row after turning in the second-fastest qualifying lap of 102.412 mph. “We’re trying to get into his head.”

Dixon earned his sixth pole position of the season with a qualifying lap of 103.090.